Selective clamping of electronics card to coolant-cooled structure

ABSTRACT

Methods of fabricating cooling apparatuses are provided which include: providing a thermal transfer structure configured to couple to an electronics card, the thermal transfer structure including a clamping structure movable between opened and clamped positions; and providing a coolant-cooled structure configured to reside within, and be associated with a receiving slot of, an electronic system within which the electronics card operatively inserts, the coolant-cooled structure residing between the electronics card and, at least partially, the clamping structure when the transfer structure is coupled to the electronics card and the card is operatively inserted into the receiving slot, wherein the opened position facilitates insertion of the electronics card into the electronic system, and movement of the clamping structure to the clamped position facilitates clamping of the thermal transfer structure to the coolant-cooled structure, and thermal conduction of heat from the electronics card to the coolant-cooled structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/782,357, filedMar. 1, 2013, entitled “Selective Clamping of Electronics Card toCoolant-Cooled Structure”, which was published Sep. 4, 2014, as U.S.Patent Publication No. 2014/0247555 A1, and which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

As is known, operating electronic components, such as processor modules,produce heat. This heat should be removed from the components in orderto maintain device junction temperatures within desirable limits, withfailure to remove heat effectively resulting in increased devicetemperatures, and potentially leading to thermal runaway conditions.Several trends in the electronics industry have combined to increase theimportance of thermal management, including heat removal for electronicdevices, including technologies where thermal management hastraditionally been less of a concern, such as CMOS. In particular, theneed for faster and more densely packed circuits has had a direct impacton the importance of thermal management. First, power dissipation, andtherefore heat production, increases as device operating frequenciesincrease. Second, increased operating frequencies may be possible atlower device junction temperatures. Further, as more and more devicesare packed onto a single chip, heat flux (Watts/cm²) increases,resulting in the need to remove more power from a given size chip ormodule. These trends have combined to create applications where it is nolonger desirable to remove heat from modern electronic components andelectronic systems containing such components, solely by traditional aircooling methods, such as by using air cooled heat sinks with heat pipesor vapor chambers. Such air cooling techniques are inherently limited intheir ability to extract heat from electronic components with moderateto high power density.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one aspect, provided herein is a method which includes: providing athermal transfer structure configured to couple to an electronics cardand facilitate transfer of heat from the electronics card, the thermaltransfer structure including a clamping structure movable between anopened position and a clamped position; and providing a coolant-cooledstructure configured to reside within, and be associated with areceiving slot of, an electronic system within which the electronicscard is to be operatively inserted, the coolant-cooled structureresiding between the electronics card and, at least partially, theclamping structure of the thermal transfer structure when the thermaltransfer structure is coupled to the electronics card and theelectronics card is operatively inserted into the receiving slot of theelectronic system, wherein the opened position of the clamping structurefacilitates insertion of the electronics card into the electronic systemwith the coolant-cooled structure disposed between the electronics cardand, at least partially, the clamping structure, and movement of theclamping structure to the clamped position facilitates clamping of thethermal transfer structure to the coolant-cooled structure, and thermalconduction of heat from the electronics card to the coolant-cooledstructure.

Further, a method of fabricating a coolant-cooled electronic assembly isprovided herein. The method includes: providing an electronic systemcomprising at least one receiving slot configured to facilitateoperative insertion of the at least one electronics card into theelectronic system, and at least one coolant-cooled structure disposedwithin the electronic system and associated with the at least onereceiving slot, the at least one coolant-cooled structure comprising atleast one coolant-carrying channel; and providing a cooling apparatuscomprising at least one thermal transfer structure, one thermal transferstructure of the at least one thermal transfer structure being coupledto one electronics card of the at least one electronics card, the onethermal transfer structure including a clamping structure movablebetween an opened position and a clamped position; and wherein withoperative insertion of the electronics card into one receiving slot ofthe at least one receiving slot of the electronic system, the onecoolant-cooled structure associated with the one receiving slot residesbetween the one electronics card and, at least partially, the clampingstructure, and wherein the opened position of the clamping structurefacilitates operative insertion of the one electronics card into the onereceiving slot of the electronic system with the coolant-cooledstructure disposed between the one electronics card and, at least inpartially, the clamping structure, and movement of the clampingstructure to the clamped position facilitates clamping of the onethermal transfer structure to the one coolant-cooled structure, andthermal conduction of heat from the one electronics card to the onecoolant-cooled structure.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniquesof the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the inventionare described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimedinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more aspects of the present invention are particularly pointedout and distinctly claimed as examples in the claims at the conclusionof the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, andadvantages of the invention are apparent from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of a coolant-cooledelectronics rack comprising multiple coolant-cooled electronic systems,one or more of which may accommodate one or more electronics cards and acooling apparatus, in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of one embodiment of a coolant-cooled electronicsystem, wherein an electronic component, such as an electronics card, isindirectly coolant-cooled by system coolant provided by one or moremodular cooling units, in accordance with one or more aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of one embodiment of a modular cooling unit for acoolant-cooled electronics rack such as depicted in FIGS. 1 & 2, inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial isometric view of one embodiment of a coolant-cooledelectronic assembly, with an electronics card and associated thermaltransfer structure, shown being inserted into a receiving slot of theelectronic system, in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5A is a partially exploded view of one embodiment of an electronicscard and associated thermal transfer structure, shown exploded from acorresponding cassette chassis and interposer card, in accordance withone or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a partially exploded view of the electronics card and thermaltransfer structure of FIG. 5A, in accordance with one or more aspects ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5C is a partially exploded view of the thermal spreader, andclamping structure (including a moveable linkage assembly and lid) ofthe thermal transfer structure of FIGS. 5A & 5B, in accordance with oneor more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a partial embodiment of a cooling apparatus sub-assembly,which includes a plurality of coolant-cooled structures and associatedcoolant manifolds, for disposition within an electronic system such asdepicted in FIG. 4, in accordance with one or more aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6B is a partially exploded view of the cooling apparatussub-assembly of FIG. 6A, in accordance with one or more aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6C depicts the cooling apparatus sub-assembly of FIGS. 6A & 6B,partially exploded from one embodiment of an electronic system withinwhich a plurality of electronics cards to be cooled are to beoperatively inserted, in accordance with one or more aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7A is a partial elevational view of the electronic system of FIG.4, showing one electronics card operatively inserted therein, andlooking through the cassette with the coolant-cooled structure of thereceiving slot shown clamped by the thermal transfer structure, inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 7B depicts the electronics card and thermal transfer structure ofFIGS. 5A-5C & 7A, and illustrates the clamping structure in openedposition, in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional elevational view of the electronics cardand thermal transfer structure of FIGS. 7A & 7B, with a coolant-cooledstructure shown disposed between the lid of the clamping structure andthe thermal spreader of the thermal transfer structure, in accordancewith one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 7D depicts the electronics card and thermal transfer structure ofFIGS. 5A-5C & 7A, and illustrates the clamping structure in clampedposition, in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7E is a cross-sectional elevational view of the electronics cardand thermal transfer structure of FIGS. 7A & 7D, with a coolant-cooledstructure shown disposed between the lid of the clamping structure andthe thermal spreader of the thermal transfer structure, in accordancewith one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 7F is a schematic of one embodiment of a thermal transferstructure, wherein the clamping structure is disposed in opened positionrelative to, for instance, a thermal spreader of the thermal transferstructure, in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 7G is a schematic of the thermal transfer structure of FIG. 7F,with the clamping structure shown disposed in clamped position relativeto the thermal spreader of the thermal transfer structure, in accordancewith one or more aspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the terms “electronics rack”, and “rack unit” are usedinterchangeably, and unless otherwise specified include any housing,frame, rack, compartment, blade server system, etc., having one or moreheat-generating components of a computer system or electronic system,and may be, for example, a stand-alone computer processor having high,mid or low end processing capability. In one embodiment, an electronicsrack may comprise a portion of an electronic system, a single electronicsystem or multiple electronic systems, for example, in one or moresub-housings, blades, books, drawers, nodes, compartments, etc., havingone or more heat-generating electronic components disposed therein. Anelectronic system(s) within an electronics rack may be movable or fixedrelative to the electronics rack, with rack-mounted electronic drawersand blades of a blade center system being two examples of electronicsystems (or subsystems) of an electronics rack to be cooled.

“Electronic component” refers to any heat-generating electroniccomponent of, for example, a computer system or other electronic systemrequiring cooling. By way of example, an electronic component maycomprise one or more integrated circuit dies, and/or other electronicdevices to be cooled, such as one or more electronics cards. In oneimplementation, an electronics card may comprise a plurality of memorymodules (such as one or more dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs)).

Further, as used herein, the terms “coolant-cooled structure”,“coolant-cooled cold plate” and “coolant-cooled cold wall” refer tothermally conductive structures having one or more channels (orpassageways) formed therein or passing therethrough, which facilitatethe flow of coolant (such as liquid coolant) through the structure. Acoolant-cooled structure may be, for example, a coolant-cooled coldplate, or a coolant-cooled cold wall. In one example, the channel(s) maybe formed by providing tubing extending through the coolant-cooledstructure.

One example of coolant used within the cooling apparatuses andcoolant-cooled electronic assemblies or systems disclosed herein iswater. However, the concepts presented are readily adapted to use withother types of coolant. For example, the coolant may comprise a brine, aglycol mixture, a fluorocarbon liquid, or other coolant, or refrigerant,while still maintaining the advantages and unique features of thepresent invention.

Reference is made below to the drawings, which are not drawn to scalefor ease of understanding, wherein the same reference numbers usedthroughout different figures designate the same or similar components.

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a liquid-cooled electronics rack 100which employs a liquid-based cooling system. In one embodiment,liquid-cooled electronics rack 100 comprises a plurality of electronicsystems 110, which comprise processor or server nodes, as well as (forinstance) a disk enclosure or structure 111. By way of example only, abulk power assembly 120 is shown disposed at an upper portion ofliquid-cooled electronics rack 100, and two modular cooling units (MCUs)130 are disposed in a lower portion of the coolant-cooled electronicsrack. In the embodiments described herein, the coolant is assumed to bewater or an aqueous-based solution, again, by way of example only.

In addition to MCUs 130, the cooling system includes a system coolantsupply manifold 131, a system coolant return manifold 132, andmanifold-to-node fluid connect hoses 133 coupling system coolant supplymanifold 131 to coolant-cooled electronic structures 110, 111 andnode-to-manifold fluid connect hoses 134 coupling the individualcoolant-cooled electronic systems 110, 111 to system coolant returnmanifold 132. Each MCU 130 is in fluid communication with system coolantsupply manifold 131 via a respective system coolant supply hose 135, andeach MCU 130 is in fluid communication with system coolant returnmanifold 132 via a respective system coolant return hose 136.

As illustrated, heat load of the electronics structures is transferredfrom the system coolant to, for instance, cooler facility coolantsupplied by facility coolant supply line 140 and facility coolant returnline 141 disposed, in the illustrated embodiment, in the space between araised floor 145 and a base floor 165.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates operation of the cooling system of FIG.1, wherein a coolant-cooled cold plate 200 is shown coupled to anelectronics card 201 of an electronic system 110 within thecoolant-cooled electronics rack 100. Heat is removed from electronicscard 201 via the system coolant circulated via pump 220 through coldplate 200 within the system coolant loop defined by liquid-to-liquidheat exchanger 221 of modular cooling unit 130, lines 222, 223 and coldplate 200. The system coolant loop and modular cooling unit are designedto provide coolant of a controlled temperature and pressure, as well ascontrolled chemistry and cleanliness to the electronics card(s).Furthermore, the system coolant is physically separate from the lesscontrolled facility coolant in lines 140, 141, to which heat isultimately transferred.

FIG. 3 depicts a more detailed embodiment of a modular cooling unit 130,in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. As shown in FIG.3, modular cooling unit 130 includes a facility coolant loop whereinbuilding chilled, facility coolant is supplied 310 and passes through acontrol valve 320 driven by a motor 325. Valve 320 determines an amountof facility coolant to be passed through liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger221, with a portion of the facility coolant possibly being returneddirectly via a bypass orifice 335. The modular cooling unit furtherincludes a system coolant loop with a reservoir tank 340 from whichsystem coolant is pumped, either by pump 350 or pump 351, into the heatexchanger 221 for conditioning and output thereof, as cooled systemcoolant to the electronics rack to be cooled. The cooled system coolantis supplied to the system supply manifold and system return manifold ofthe liquid-cooled electronics rack via the system water supply hose 135and system water return hose 136.

As noted, an electronics rack may include one or more electronicsystems, such as one or more server units, within which packagingdensity continues to increase, along with power dissipation. Thesetrends necessitate that more and more electronic system components beprincipally directly or indirectly liquid-cooled, such as with water,refrigerant, etc., rather than air-cooled. Many electronic systemarchitectures also require that certain components be serviceablewithout interruption of the electronic system. Conventionally, mostserviceable or field-replaceable cards or components are air-cooled. Amain disadvantage to air-cooled, serviceable components is thatpackaging and power density is limited, and fan or blower noiseassociated with the air cooling can become excessive. If serviceablecards or components are to be coolant-cooled (e.g., water, refrigerant,etc.), they would typically be serviced by disconnecting multiplecoolant connections, as well as electrical connectors or cables. Thedisadvantage to such a cooling approach is that the need to disconnectcoolant connections within an electronic system creates potential leakpaths, and the approach requires a highly-parallel, coolant flowarchitecture to ensure servicing a component, such as afield-replaceable unit or card, does not interrupt coolant flow to oneor more other components not being serviced. Addressing thisdisadvantage, disclosed herein (in one aspect) are cooling apparatusesand methods for facilitating liquid-coolant cooling ofhigh-power-density, serviceable electronics cards or components, withouthaving to connect or disconnect any coolant connections during insertionor removal of an electronics card.

Generally stated, in one embodiment, the cooling apparatuses disclosedherein include a thermal transfer structure configured to couple to anelectronics card or component. Note that as used herein, an “electronicscard” may comprise, for instance, a board or substrate upon which one ormore electronic components are disposed. In one example, the electroniccomponents may comprise a processor module and one or more supportmodules, such as one or more memory support modules, and one or moredynamic random access memory (DRAM) modules.

The thermal transfer structure includes, for instance, a clampingstructure movable between an opened position and a clamped position. Thecooling apparatus further includes a coolant-cooled (e.g.,liquid-cooled) structure disposed within, and associated with areceiving slot of, an electronic system within which the electronicscard is to be operatively inserted. The coolant-cooled structure residesbetween the electronics card and, at least partially, the clampingstructure with operative insertion of the electronics card into thereceiving slot of the electronic system. In operation, the openedposition of the clamping structure facilitates insertion of theelectronics card into the electronic system with the coolant-cooledstructure disposed between the electronics card and, at least partially,the clamping structure, and movement of the clamping structure to theclamped position facilitates clamping of the thermal transfer structureto the coolant-cooled structure, and thereby enhancing thermalconduction of heat from the electronics card to the coolant-cooledstructure by providing a good mechanical and thermal coupling to thecoolant-cooled structure.

In one embodiment, the thermal transfer structure includes a thermalspreader which has opposite main surfaces comprising a first thermalconduction surface and a second thermal conduction surface. The firstthermal conduction surface is configured to couple to the electronicscard to facilitate conduction of heat from the electronics card to thethermal spreader. For instance, the first thermal conduction surface mayhave appropriately sized recesses or regions so that one or moreelectronic components (e.g., integrated circuit chips or devices)mounted to the electronics card make good thermal contact to the thermalspreader, and in one embodiment, the thermal spreader makes good thermalcontact to the card or substrate of the electronics card. When theelectronics card with the attached thermal transfer structure isoperatively inserted into the electronic system, for example, dockedwithin a respective receiving slot, the coolant-cooled structure residesbetween the second thermal conduction surface of the thermal spreaderand, for instance, a lid of the clamping structure. In the openedposition of the clamping structure, insertion of the electronics cardinto the electronic system is facilitated with the coolant-cooledstructure of the electronic system being disposed between the thermalspreader and the lid of the clamping structure, and movement of theclamping structure to the clamped position facilitates clamping of thethermal transfer structure to the coolant-cooled structure, and thusenhanced thermal conduction of heat from the thermal spreader to thecoolant-cooled structure.

More specifically, in one embodiment, the coolant-cooled structure mayinclude a liquid-cooled cold plate or a liquid-cooled cold wall residentin the electronic system (e.g., server unit), for instance, within orassociated with the receiving slot of the electronic system within whichthe electronics card is to be operatively inserted. The electronics cardmay be a high-power-density card assembly containing multiple electroniccomponents, which can mechanically clamp itself, via the thermaltransfer structure, to the coolant-cooled structure or cold wall afterthe electronics card is docked into the receiving slot and plugged intoa respective electrical connector(s) resident within the electronicsystem. The coolant-cooled structure or cold wall may have coolantflowing through it in one or more coolant-carrying channels, and besufficiently flexible in the direction that it is clamped so thatclamping of the coolant-cooled structure to the electronics card via thethermal transfer structure will not put a significant load on theelectrical connector(s) of the electronics card or the electricalbackplane of the electronic system to which the card is connected. Thecooling path from the electronics card to the coolant-cooled structuremay be from the electronics card (i.e., the components mounted to theelectronics card) through, for instance, a first thermal interfacematerial (TIM1) to the heat spreader of the thermal transfer structure,and then through a second thermal interface material (TIM2) to thecoolant-cooled structure. Note that the heat spreader also serves as abase to the mechanism referred to herein as the clamping structure. Thisstructure is employed to clamp the coolant-cooled structure and thermaltransfer structure together. The advantage of this cooling apparatus isthat a high-power-density electronics card can be efficiently indirectlyliquid-cooled via a cold plate and still be serviceable, withoutdisconnecting any coolant connections within the electronic system.

FIG. 4 is a partial embodiment of an electronic system, generallydenoted 400, utilizing a cooling apparatus, in accordance with one ormore aspects of the present invention. The cooling apparatus includes acooling apparatus subassembly 410 which comprises a plurality ofcoolant-cooled structures 411, each of which includes one or morecoolant carrying channels through which a coolant, such as watercirculates. In the embodiment depicted, the coolant-cooled structures411 are suspended via the cooling apparatus subsystem 410 within oradjacent to respective receiving slots 420 of the electronic system intowhich serviceable or field-replaceable units 430 are docked foroperative insertion into or undocked for removal from electronic system400. A field-replaceable unit 430 includes, by way of example only, anelectronics card 440 with a thermal transfer structure 450 coupledthereto. The electronics card electrically docks within an interposercard 460, and the resultant assembly is disposed within a cassette 470(again by way of example only), to facilitate slidable insertion into orremoval from a respective receiving opening 420 of electronic system400. As disclosed herein, the respective coolant-cooled structure 411disposed within or associated with the receiving slot 420 into which thefield-replaceable unit 430 is docked projects into the cassette 470 withinsertion of the field-replaceable unit 430 into the receiving slot 420.Once the electronics card is docked, the coolant-cooled structureresides between the electronics card 440 and, at least partially, aclamping structure of the thermal transfer structure 450, as explainedbelow.

By way of further explanation, the electronics card may electricallyconnect to an electronic system back-plane (e.g., server back-plane), asthe field-replaceable unit is slid into the electronic system, or moreparticular, one of the receiving slots of the electronic system, and asimple latch mechanism (not shown) may be used to secure thefield-replaceable unit within the electronic system. The coolant-cooledstructure (e.g., liquid-cooled cold wall) associated with the respectivereceiving slot that the unit slides into is positioned and configured toextend into (for instance) the thermal transfer structure of thereplaceable unit so as to be between the electronics card and, at leastpartially, a clamping structure of the thermal transfer structure. Inone assembly approach, before the electronics card is installed, asecond thermal interface material (TIM2) is attached to, for instance,the second thermal conduction surface of the heat spreader to which thecoolant-cooled (or liquid-cooled) structure is to be clamped. Theparticular interface material employed is designed to adhere to the heatspreader, yet be releasable from the coolant-cooled structure should thefield-replaceable unit be removed or undocked from the electronicsystem, for instance, for servicing of the electronics card. As thefield-replaceable unit slides into the receiving slot, thecoolant-cooled structure slides between, for instance, the heat spreaderand the lid of the clamping structure. Once the electrical connector(s)is fully plugged, and the field-replaceable unit or electronics cardassembly is latched in place, an actuation mechanism, such as anactuator element or screw, may be turned or tightened to cause theclamping structure to clamp the thermal transfer structure and thecoolant-cooled structure together in good physical and thermal contact.In one embodiment, a four-bar linkage assembly may be used as part ofthe clamping structure, movably securing the clamping structure to, forinstance, the heat spreader of the thermal transfer structure. Thesestructures and their operation are described further below withreference to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 5A-7G.

FIG. 5A is a partially exploded depiction of one embodiment of the fieldreplaceable unit 430 of FIG. 4. In this embodiment, electronics card 440is shown mechanically coupled to thermal transfer structure 450, and theelectronics card 440 and thermal transfer structure 450 assemblyoperatively inserts into interposer card 460 disposed within cassette470. Cassette 470 includes an appropriately sized cassette chassis, andas illustrated, interposer card 460 includes an electronics card socket462 configured to operatively receive one or more electrical connectionsof electronics card 440 as the card is operatively positioned withincassette 470, with the interposer card 460 disposed in the lower portionthereof. Interposer card 460 also includes one or more electricalconnectors 464 sized and configured to operatively couple to, forinstance, an electrical or control back-plane (not shown) of theelectronic system (see FIG. 4) within which the electronics card or,more generally, the field-replaceable unit is to be operatively insertedor docked.

FIG. 5B is a partially exploded view of one embodiment of an electronicscard and thermal transfer structure assembly (or electronics cardassembly) 500. In this embodiment, electronics card assembly 500includes electronics card 440 comprising, for instance, a circuit boardor substrate 441 to which one or more electronic components 442, such asintegrated circuit chips, are mounted. In one embodiment, the one ormore electronic components 442 may include a high-power-dissipatingprocessor chip, as well as support chips such as a memory controller,and dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, etc.

FIG. 5B also depicts in greater detail one embodiment of a thermaltransfer structure 450 such as disclosed herein. This thermal transferstructure 450 includes a thermal spreader 510 and a movable linkageassembly 530 of a clamping structure which includes (in this embodiment)a lid 520. A stiffener 540 is also provided, along with attachmentfasters 555, which couple the thermal spreader 510 and stiffener 540together with electronics card 440 sandwiched between the thermalspreader 510 and stiffener 540. In one embodiment, a first thermalconduction surface 511 of thermal spreader 510 is configured with one ormore recesses (not shown) appropriately sized to receive correspondingelectronic components 442 in good thermal contact with first thermalconduction surface 511. A second thermal conduction surface 512 ofthermal spreader 510 may also include, in one embodiment, a partialrecess 513 sized and configured to receivably engage a similarlyconfigured coolant-cooled structure, or a portion thereof, as theelectronics card assembly 500 within the field-replaceable unit isoperatively inserted into the electronic system in a manner such asdescribed herein.

Thermal spreader 510 and stiffener 540 may couple via a variety ofattachment fasteners 555, including, for example, multiple load springfasteners, which allow spring-biased coupling of the thermal spreader510 and stiffener 540, with electronics card 440 sandwichedtherebetween, and thus ensure good thermal contact between surfaces ofthe electronic components 442 (and possibly the electronics card 440itself) and the first thermal conduction surface 511 of the thermalspreader 510. In addition, alignment pins 525 affixed to lid 520 residewithin alignment holes 515 in thermal spreader 510, and maintain lid 520aligned over thermal spreader 510 with movement of the lid between anopened position and a clamped position, as described herein. In thisembodiment, a front tailstock 443 may reside at one edge of theelectronics card assembly 500, along with an actuator element 444connected to engage and threadably actuate movable linkage assembly 530of the clamping structure. In one embodiment, actuator element 444 is anactuation screw which threadably inserts into a threaded opening withinmovable linkage assembly 530 and allows an operator to rotatably controlmovement of the assembly 530 and thus a clamping force applied betweenthermal spreader 510 and lid 520 when the electronics card assembly 500is in operative position within a corresponding receiving slot of theelectronic system, with the coolant-cooled structure (see FIG. 4)thereof disposed between thermal spreader 510 and lid 520.

FIG. 5C depicts an exploded view of the thermal spreader 510 and theclamping structure, including movable linkage assembly 530 and lid 520.In this embodiment, the movable linkage assembly 530 includes a slidestructure 531 having a threaded opening 532 at one end sized andpositioned to threadably receive actuator element 444. Movable linkages533 and cam followers 534 are employed to couple slide structure 531,thermal spreader 510 and lid 520 together such that the clampingstructure is defined relative to thermal spreader 510. This clampingstructure is movable between an opened position and a clamped position.In this embodiment, lid 520 is disposed in spaced opposing relation tosecond thermal conduction surface 512 of thermal spreader 510, which (asnoted) may include a recess 513 sized and configured to at leastpartially, engagably receive the respective coolant-cooled structure(see FIG. 4) as the field-replaceable unit comprising the electronicscard assembly is operatively inserted into a respective receiving slotof the electronic system. Note also with respect to FIG. 5C, that (inone embodiment) lid 520 includes sidewalls 521 which partially wraparound, for instance, the respective coolant-cooled structure once inthe clamped position. These sidewalls 521 may be sized to physicalcontact the thermal spreader, and thereby facilitate enhanced heattransfer. In one embodiment, lid 520 is itself thermally conductive,being fabricated of, for instance, a metal or other thermally conductivematerial, to further improve heat transfer between the thermal spreader,and thus the electronics card and the coolant-cooled structure.

FIGS. 6A-6C depict one embodiment of cooling apparatus subassembly 410of the cooling apparatus disclosed herein, and briefly described abovein connection with FIG. 4. Referring to FIGS. 6A-6C collectively, twosets of coolant-cooled structures 411 are provided, each configured andpositioned to extend into or be associated with a respective receivingslot of (in this example) two different sets of receiving slots inelectronic system 400 for receiving electronics card assemblies, or moregenerally, field-replaceable units, such as described herein. Eachcoolant-cooled structure 411 includes one or more coolant-carryingchannels 600 through which liquid coolant can circulate. In thisembodiment, manifolds 610 are provided and coupled to a coolant supplyconnector 611 and a coolant return connector 612. These manifolds andconnectors are configured and coupled in fluid communication tofacilitate the flow of coolant through the respective coolant-carryingchannels 600 of the coolant-cooled structures 411. In the embodimentdepicted, each coolant-cooled structure is a substantially flat coldplate having (for instance) a tube-receiving recess within which arespective coolant-carrying tube 601 resides. The coolant-carrying tubes601 define, in this example, the coolant-carrying channels through thecoolant-cooled structure. In the embodiment depicted, the cold platesare oriented vertically on-edge as liquid-cooled cold walls. As noted,these coolant-cooled structures are positioned within or associated withrespective receiving slots of the electronic system. Note with referenceto FIGS. 6A-6C that the coolant flowing through the cooling apparatussubassembly 410 is sealed from leaking, notwithstanding insertion orremoval of an electronics card assembly. That is, insertion or removalof the field-replaceable units (comprising the electronics cardassemblies) is made without any coolant connection being affected.

As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the cooling apparatus subassembly 410 ofFIGS. 6A-6C includes (in one embodiment) a manifold bracket 620 and abulkhead bracket 621, which are sized and configured to provideappropriate support for the manifolds 610 and coolant-cooled structures411. In one embodiment, the coolant-carrying tubes 601 are rigid tubeswhich have sufficient support to hold the coolant-cooled structures 411suspended within or in association with a respective receiving slot ofthe electronic system.

FIG. 6C depicts the cooling apparatus subassembly 410 partially explodedfrom one embodiment of electronic system 400, and depicts thecoolant-cooled structures 411 aligning over respective receiving slots420 of the electronic system 400.

FIGS. 7A-7G depict in greater detail operation of one embodiment of thethermal transfer structure of the cooling apparatus disclosed herein.

In FIG. 7A, a partial elevational view of an electronic system isdepicted, wherein one field-replaceable unit (comprising an electronicscard assembly) is shown operatively positioned within a respectivereceiving slot of electronic system 400. In FIG. 7A, the cassette 470chassis is not shown or is translucent, actuator element 444 is shownaccessible to an operator, and coolant-cooled structure 411 is showncaptured by the thermal transfer structure, with the clamping structurecomprising, for instance, slidable linkage assembly 530 and lid 520 inclamped position.

FIGS. 7B-7E further depict electronics card assembly 500. By way ofexample, FIGS. 7B & 7C depict the thermal transfer structure, or moreparticularly, the clamping structure thereof, in opened position, andFIGS. 7D & 7E depict the clamping structure in clamped position. Asillustrated, the lid 520, in both opened position and clamped position,remains in spaced opposing relation to second thermal conduction surface512 of thermal spreader 510. In the opened position of FIGS. 7B & 7C,lid 520 is spaced further from the second thermal conduction surface 512of thermal spreader 510 than in the clamped position of FIGS. 7D & 7E.As illustrated in FIGS. 7B & 7C, the spacing in the opened positionbetween the lid and thermal spreader is sufficient to facilitateaccommodation of the coolant-cooled structure 411 between the thermalspreader 510 and the lid 520.

Note also with reference to FIG. 7C, that the contouring of the firstthermal conduction surface 511 of thermal spreader 510 is providesenhanced physical coupling of the first thermal conduction surface 511to the electronic components 442, as well as (for example) to thesupporting card or substrate 441 of the electronics card 440. Thestiffener 540 is shown coupled to the opposite side of the electronicscard 440 from the thermal spreader 510.

In the clamped position depicted in FIGS. 7D & 7E, lid 520 is shownmoved closer to thermal spreader 510 of the thermal transfer structureto facilitate clamping of the coolant-cooled structure 411 between thelid 520 and the thermal spreader 510 of the thermal transfer structure.This is achieved (in one embodiment) by actuation of the actuatorelement 444 by, for instance, an operator or service technician, afteroperatively inserting the electronics card assembly into the electronicsystem.

FIGS. 7F & 7G schematically depict operation of the movable linkageassembly and alignment pins 525 coupling the lid to the thermalspreader, and in particular, illustrate the opened position and clampedposition, respectively, of lid 520 relative to thermal spreader 510 suchas disclosed herein. In FIG. 7F, linkages 533 are shown extended, withlid 520 spaced further from the second thermal conduction surface 512 ofthermal spreader 510 and the slide structure 531 disposed at one side ofelongate, slide-receiving openings 700 in thermal spreader 510. In theclamped position, the actuator element mechanism has been turned toapply an actuation force which moves the slide structure 531 within therespective elongate, slide-receiving openings 700 of the thermalspreader 510 as shown, causing lid 520 to collapse towards thermalspreader 510, but still remain spaced therefrom. The sizing of theclamping structure components, and in particular, the slide linkageassembly 530 and the alignment pins 525 and alignment holes 515, arechosen so that the spacing in the clamped position between lid 520 andthermal spreader 510 provides good physical contact or clamping forcebetween the thermal transfer structure and the coolant-cooled structureassociated with the respective receiving slot in the electronics systemwithin which the electronics card is operatively docked.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” (andany form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (andany form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any formof include, such as “includes” and “including”), and “contain” (and anyform contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-endedlinking verbs. As a result, a method or device that “comprises”, “has”,“includes” or “contains” one or more steps or elements possesses thoseone or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing onlythose one or more steps or elements. Likewise, a step of a method or anelement of a device that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains”one or more features possesses those one or more features, but is notlimited to possessing only those one or more features. Furthermore, adevice or structure that is configured in a certain way is configured inat least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are notlisted.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below, if any, areintended to include any structure, material, or act for performing thefunction in combination with other claimed elements as specificallyclaimed. The description of the present invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to beexhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The embodiment was chosen and described in order to explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention throughvarious embodiments and the various modifications thereto which aredependent on the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of fabricating a cooling apparatus, themethod comprising: providing a thermal transfer structure to couple toan electronics card and facilitate transfer of heat from the electronicscard, the thermal transfer structure comprising: a clamping structuremovable between an opened position and a clamped position, the clampingstructure comprising a lid spaced from the electronics card when thethermal transfer structure is coupled to the electronics card; andproviding a coolant-cooled structure to reside within and electronicsystem, and be associated with a receiving slot of the electronic systemwithin which the electronics card is to be operatively inserted, thecoolant-cooled structure extending into the thermal transfer structureand residing between the electronics card and the lid of the clampingstructure when the thermal transfer structure is coupled to theelectronics card and the electronics card is operatively inserted intothe receiving slot of the electronic system, wherein the opened positionof the clamping structure facilitates insertion of the electronics cardinto the electronic system with the coolant-cooled structure disposedbetween the electronics card and the lid, and movement of the clampingstructure to the clamped position facilitates clamping of the thermaltransfer structure, including the lid to the coolant-cooled structure,and thermal conduction of heat from the electronics card to thecoolant-cooled structure.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermaltransfer structure further comprises a thermal spreader comprising afirst thermal conduction surface and a second thermal conductionsurface, the first thermal conduction surface being coupled to theelectronics card to facilitate conduction of heat from the electronicscard to the thermal spreader, wherein the coolant-cooled structureresides between the thermal spreader and the lid of the clampingstructure with docking of the electronics card in the electronicssystem, and wherein the opened position the clamping structurefacilitates docking of the electronics card in the electronics systemwith the coolant-cooled structure disposed between the thermal spreaderand, at least partially, the clamping structure, and movement of theclamping structure to the clamped position facilitates conduction ofheat from the thermal spreader to the coolant-cooled structure.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein in the opened position of the clampingstructure, the lid is spaced further from the second thermal conductionsurface of the thermal spreader than in the clamped position.
 4. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the lid is movably coupled to the thermalspreader via a movable linkage assembly, and wherein the movable linkageassembly is actuatable to move the lid between the opened position andthe clamped position via an actuator element threadably coupled to themovable linkage assembly.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the lid isthermally conductive and configured to partially wrap around thecoolant-cooled structure and contact the thermal spreader when in theclamped position with the electronics card operatively inserted into thereceiving slot of the electronic system.
 6. The method of claim 2,wherein the thermal transfer structure further comprises a stiffener,the thermal spreader being coupled to a first side of the electronicscard and the stiffener being coupled to a second side of the electronicscard, the first side and the second side of the electronics card beingopposite sides of the electronics card, and wherein the thermal transferstructure further comprises multiple spring-biased attachment mechanismssecuring the thermal spreader and the stiffener together with theelectronics card sandwiched between the thermal spreader and thestiffener, and wherein the clamping structure is movably coupled to thethermal spreader.
 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the thermal transferstructure and electronics card reside within a cassette, and theelectronics card is placed in operative position within the electronicsystem by docking the cassette within the receiving slot in theelectronic system, the cassette including an opening sized to facilitatedisposition of the coolant-cooled structure between the thermal spreaderand, at least partially, the clamping structure with docking of thecassette into the electronics system.
 8. The method of claim 2, whereinthe thermal spreader includes a recess in the second thermal conductionsurface configured to at least partially receive the coolant-cooledstructure therein with clamping of the coolant-cooled structure bymovement of the clamping structure to the clamped position.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the coolant-cooled structure comprises atleast one coolant-carrying channel facilitating the flow of coolanttherethrough, and wherein the electronics card is insertable into orremovable from the electronic system without interrupting flow ofcoolant through the at least one coolant-cooled channel of thecoolant-cooled structure.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein theelectronics card is disposed on edge, being oriented vertically whenoperatively inserted into the electronic system, and the coolant-cooledstructure comprises a thermally conductive plate suspended within thereceiving slot of the electronic system, the electronics card beingoperatively inserted into the receiving slot of the electronic system,and the thermally conductive plate comprising the at least onecoolant-carrying channel.
 11. A method of fabricating a coolant-cooledelectronic assembly, the method comprising: providing an electronicsystem comprising: at least one receiving slot configured to facilitateoperative insertion of the at least one electronics card into theelectronic system; and at least one coolant-cooled structure disposedwithin the electronic system and associated with the at least onereceiving slot, the at least one coolant-cooled structure comprising atleast one coolant-carrying channel; and providing a cooling apparatuscomprising at least one thermal transfer structure, one thermal transferstructure of the at least one thermal transfer structure being coupledto one electronics card of the at least one electronics card, the onethermal transfer structure comprising: a clamping structure movablebetween an opened position and a clamped position, the clampingstructure comprising a lid spaced from the one electronics card; andwherein with operative insertion of the one electronics card into onereceiving slot of the at least one receiving slot of the electronicsystem, the one coolant-cooled structure associated with the onereceiving slot extends into the one thermal transfer structure andresides between the one electronics card and the lid of the clampingstructure, and wherein the opened position of the clamping structurefacilitates operative insertion of the one electronics card into the onereceiving slot of the electronic system with the coolant-cooledstructure extending into the one thermal transfer structure between theone electronics card and the lid of the clamping structure, and movementof the clamping structure to the clamped position facilitates clampingof the one thermal transfer structure, including the lid, to the onecoolant-cooled structure, and thermal conduction of heat from the oneelectronics card to the one coolant-cooled structure.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the electronic system comprises a plurality ofreceiving slots configured to facilitate operative insertion of aplurality of electronics cards into the electronic system, and aplurality of coolant-cooled structures associated with the plurality ofreceiving slots, each coolant-cooled structure being disposed within arespective receiving slot of the plurality of receiving slots, and eachcoolant-cooled structure comprising at least one coolant-carryingchannel, and wherein providing the cooling apparatus further comprisesproviding a plurality of thermal transfer structures, each thermaltransfer structure being coupled to a respective electronics card of theplurality of electronics cards.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein theone thermal transfer structure further comprises a thermal spreadercomprising a first thermal conduction surface and a second thermalconduction surface, the first thermal conduction surface being coupledto the one electronics card to facilitate conduction of heat from theone electronics card to the thermal spreader, wherein the onecoolant-cooled structure resides between the thermal spreader and, atleast partially, the lid of the clamping structure with docking of theone electronics card in the electronic system, and wherein the openedposition of the clamping structure facilitates docking of the oneelectronics card in the electronic system with the one coolant-cooledstructure disposed between the thermal spreader and, at last partially,the clamping structure, and movement of the clamping structure to theclamped position facilitates thermal conduction of heat from the thermalspreader to the one coolant-cooled structure.
 14. The method of claim13, wherein in the opened position of the clamping structure, the lid isspaced further from the second thermal conduction surface of the thermalspreader than in the clamped position.
 15. The method of claim 13,wherein the lid is movably coupled to the thermal spreader via a movablelinkage assembly, and wherein the movable linkage assembly is actuatableto move the lid between the opened position and the clamped position viaan actuator element threadably coupled to the movable linkage assembly.16. The method of claim 13, wherein the thermal transfer structurefurther comprises a stiffener, the thermal spreader being coupled to afirst side of the electronics card and the stiffener being coupled to asecond side of the electronics card, the first side and the second sideof the electronics card being opposite sides of the electronics card,and wherein the thermal transfer structure further comprises multiplespring-biased attachment mechanisms securing the thermal spreader andthe stiffener together with the electronics card sandwiched between thethermal spreader and the stiffener, and wherein the clamping structureis movably coupled to the thermal spreader.
 17. The method of claim 13,wherein the one thermal transfer structure and the one electronics cardreside within a cassette, and the electronics card is placed in theoperative position within the electronic system by docking the cassettewithin the one receiving slot in the electronics system, the cassetteincluding an opening sized to facilitate disposition of the onecoolant-cooled structure between the thermal spreader and, at leastpartially, the clamping structure with docking of the cassette into theelectronics system.